Bettie Page #4 Review

 

Writers: Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino

Artists: Elisa Ferrari, Mara Angelilli & Tommaso Ronda

Colorists: Maura Gulma & Francesca Vivaldi

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: Joseph Michael Linsner; Leirix; Rebeca Puebla; Mirka Andolfo; Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 27, 2023

 

Lisa Cosmi wants to marry Paolo Raviolo. Their opposing mafia families forbid the match. The Sicilian lovebirds eloped. Then they got separated. Can Bettie reunite the couple without getting shot by singing sniper Spartaco Serpe? Why not leap into Bettie Page #4 and find out?

 

Story

Two Cosmi clods kidnapped Paolo. Raviolo robbers ran off with Lisa. But no one told the crooning killer. Karen and her paramour Davide race across rooftops to seize the signing sniper. Spartaco got off his shot while trilling Nel Dipinto Di Blue and escaped their clutches.

 

Unfortunately for him, Benjamin got in the way of bringing Bettie a pizza. Guess what splattered red all over her hotel room? Guess what Bettie has been craving since issue #1 and still does?

 

The rival families decide to do a swap. But that will not reunite the lovebirds. Can Bettie, Karen, and Benjamin help Lisa and Paolo realize their dreams?

 

The complex story structure demands that the gears driving this story mesh. Thankfully, Bettie Page #4 ties everything together. While inspired by Shakespearian tragedy, the fun farce ends with a comedic but realistic take on how life often takes us in unexpected directions.

 

Art

Elisa Ferrari, Mara Angelilli, and Tommaso Ronda relate Bettie, Karen, and Benjamin's matchmaking mission with classic Disney appeal. Panels could be stills taken from an animated movie. Characters are expressive and eye-pleasing. Towns, rustic cottages, and scenic landscapes are alluring. Backgrounds rarely fade away in Bettie Page #4.

 

Maura Gulma and Francesca Vivaldi fill scenes with nuanced color. Backgrounds may change color in successive panels but remain pleasing. While ranging from soft to vibrant, the rich coloring shows highlights and shadows without relying on gray.

 

The black dialogue in white balloons is easy to read. Colored narrative boxes provide good contrast. Jeff Eckleberry shrinks the print in white narrative boxes. Sound effects heighten the action in Bettie Page #4. Occasionally, they overtake panels in the final movement of this symphony sparked by famed film maestro Eugenio Vitelloni.

 

Final Thoughts

Italian lovers fight their families for the freedom to fix their future in Bettie Page #4 but find life fussier than fairy tales.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.